John charles titus



(No Mudel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l. J. G. TITUS. BOX FORMER.

No. 597,624. Patented Jan. 18, 1898.

I/VVE/VTOR z 70/ 7/721 Cha les Tim ATTORNEYS WITNESSES:

,j l.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. T' J. C. TITUS. BOX FORMER.

No. 597,624. Patented Jan. 18, 1898.

WITNESSES INVENTOH w/m/ Ozarles 122126.

A TI'OHNE Y8.

UNITED STATES JOHN CHARLES TITUS, OF NORFOLIQVIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO PATENT Fries.

THE FARMERS MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

BOX-FORM ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 597,624, dated January 18, 1898.

Application filed June 16, 1897. Serial No. 641,018. (No model-i To a, whom it mag/concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN CHARLES TITUS, residing at Norfolk, in the county of Norfolk and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in BoX-Formers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in machines for making boxes or baskets such as are commonly used for holding berries, grapes, and other fruit; and the present invention relates particularly to the construction of oblong baskets or boxes; and it consists in the novel constructions and combinations of parts which permit the proper presentation of the opposite ends and side portions of said oblong box to the stapling devices, as hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of my improved box former or holder. Fig. 2 is a plan view of same. Fig. 3 is a 1ongitudinal section on the line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is a detail view hereinafter referred to; and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a machine with my improved box-former applied in position for use, also showing the basket-like box on the former in position to receive the fasteningstaples.

The box former or holder A is oblong in shape, corresponding to the form of the box to be made. It is desirable to so support this former that its ends and its sides adjacent to said ends maybe turned to face the stapling devices, and in order that the opposite ends may be properly presented to the stapling devices I support such former and provide it with a pivotal center, upon which it may move rotarily and along which it may be longitudinally shifted or moved to change its center of motion. In carrying out this feature of my invention I provide a pivotal center for the box-former and also shift such box-former longitudinally to bring said center in desired relation to the opposite ends of the former, as presently more fully described. In the construction shown I provide a slideway in which the pivotal center may be shifted, said slidewayconsisting of a plate Qwhich is provided with end bearing portions 0' and a slot G which extends between and connects the end bearing portions. These end bearing portions are provided one for each end of the box, and each end bearing portion is arranged equidistant from the sides and the adjacent end of the box in order that the 5 5 former may be turned when the center B is in the bearing portion 0' to properly present either its end or sides to the stapling devices. As these stapling devices form no part of the present invention, I have not thought it necessary to illustrate or describe the same herein.

The bearing portions C are circular, so the former may turn on the center when the latter is in the bearing portions, and to prevent the turning of the former when the center is in the slot C I make the center with a noncircular portion b, which may slide back and forth in the slot 0 from one to the other of the bearing portions 0, but will so fit the slot as to prevent the turning of the former or holder when the portion 2) is in the slot C While it may be preferred to arrange the slideway 0 near the top of the former or holder, as shown in Fig. 1, and to provide the 7 5 non-circular portion 1) of the center shaft B near the upper end of said shaft, as shown in said Fig. 1, this arrangement may be varied and the said parts Z2 and C be arranged as shown in Fig. 4; but I prefer the construction and arrangement as shown in Fig. 1 and before described.

The central shaft B is mounted on a dovetail plate which is movable back and forth in a corresponding slot in the bed-plate of the machine, in order to set the former and the basket thereon to and from the stapling device.

The box-former which is the subject of this application is used in connection with a sta- 9c pling-machine. It may be of the form shown in Fig. 5 or of other desired construction.

In such construction the former and box may, after the stapling of one side or end is completed, be drawn forward toward the opera- 5 tor by hand, (see the slotted way X in Fig. 1,) and when in its retracted position be turned to bring its next side or end facing the stapling devices. The former and basket may then be pushed by hand toward the stapling roe devices, and such operation may by suitable devices cause the stapling devices to be thrown into operation in any suitable way but as the machine and stapling devices are not claimed herein it does not seem necessary to further illustrate or describe them herein.

In operation staples are applied to the ends of the box or basket and on the sides at points near the opposite ends of same, and in setting it toward and from the stapling devices the box-former is moved bodily in the slideway X toward and from the stapling devices and is adjusted by its slot C along the center B. Thus in the arrangement of the box-former shown in Fig. l the box with the former in place maybe moved in the slot X up to the stapling devices to set the staples in the side near the left-hand end. Itmay then be retracted, then moved laterally on the center 13 to bring its side near its right hand opposite the stapling devices, then retracted in slot X, so it may be turned to bring its end opposite the stapling devices, be then advanced in slot X to set the staples in the end of the boX or basket, and so on until the box is properly stapled.

, Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the oblong boxformer, a slideway having opposite end bearing portions, and the center arranged to slide along said center portion and turn in the end bearing portions substantially as described.

2. The oblong box-former having the plate provided with the end bearing portions and the slot connecting the same combined with the center arranged to turn in said bearing portions and'slide in said slot from one to the other of said portions, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the box-former, the slideway-plate having end bearing portions and the slot connecting the same and the pivot-shaft having a non-circular portion fitting and sliding in the slot and on which the bearing portions may turn, substantially, as

described.

JOHN CHARLES TITUS. Witnesses:

J. F. EARB, H. J. TAYLOR. 

